Tuesday, 10 July 2018

So because I was feeling down and exhausted after a very toxic shift, I tried to relax and think of happy thoughts to soothe my aching feet and tired body. Remembering that going on a vacation, visiting a new place and swimming in the ocean are some of my greatest joys, I looked for my shots of last year's summer vacation and found my DSLR photos of our annual family reunion at Siquijor; an island Visayas.

Thinking back, I was a bit hesitant to visit the province because of the fact that our annual family reunion will be at this mystical, intriguing island. Truth be told, the first thing that came into my mind were the witchcraft, the mythical creatures and the place.

(Click on the photos for a larger view.)

But the moment we docked at its port, no flying half-bodied women or any other Filipino folklore creatures greeted us. Instead, regular islanders and a beautiful, old church beckoned us to enjoy this beautiful place.

The ocean is crystal clear, the beaches are white and the people are friendly.

Each place that we visited were very peaceful and not so crowded. You can truly relax and be one with nature or enjoy and splash in the water at the same time.

Siquijor is not all beaches and swimming spots. The island is also a place lost in time. No traffic lights, no wifi hotspots, all majestic and enchanting old buildings, streets, great trees and historical churches.

Nostalgia is the main theme in one of its oldest streets. I was much too engrossed in admiring the views that I forgot to ask the history of each of the buildings we visited. Gotta do that next time!

This was one of the many old churches in Siquijor. It has a brick bell tower that's still working and the church is still utilized for Catholic masses. Some of it's parts are being restored but much of its foundation is still intact.

There was an ongoing graduation mass when we visited this old church that's why we weren't able to go inside and take photos of it.

The street fronting this church is something that came out of an old movie. All we needed were horse-drawn carriages and traditional clothing.

This one below is a photo of one of the oldest monasteries in the Philippines. It's currently undergoing restoration so I wasn't able to take lots of photos of it. By the way, it's located just in front of the old church.

A few miles ahead and we arrived at this foot spa underneath a great centennial tree. Why are they all looking down? Well, the ones cleansing our foot aren't people...

Lo and behold: Fishes are here to eat out your dead skin. LOL!

The process was very ticklish and enjoyed a lot during the entire stop. It was also a nice place to just sit, eat and chitchat after walking around.

One of the last few stops that we visited was this spring with an altar of the Virgin Mary overlooking it. It was a recreation of St. Bernadette and the apparition of the Immaculate Concepcion at Lourdes, France.

And if you walk along the pathway up, you'll see this church with another old bell tower.

Siquijor is an island full of surprises. One visit will erase your prejudice of it being an enchanting island filled with magical creatures and mystical curses.

I would very much like to visit here again and maybe bring new people to explore of the province. A couple of days weren't enough to fully satisfy my thirst of relaxation, fresh air and serene beaches.

Friday, 9 February 2018

So most of you who are avid followers of my instagram and twitter accounts know that I am a huge dota2 player (DoTA2 or Defense of the Ancients 2 is a free to play Multiplayer Online Battle Arena game by the company Valve). I actually have at around 3000+ hours of playing the game according to my Steam account (whoops!).

And so, because of my love of this game, I pulled of a Crystal Maiden cosplay when I got invited to judge a local cosplay competition at my alma mater. (Crystal Maiden is one of the playable heroes in the game).

Crystal Maiden

It was a short notice to have me judge an event so instead of having a seamstress make the costume for me, I was able to find a ready-made one online for a fraction of a price! (It was a sale by a cosplay shop and it was ready to ship!)

I added the embellishment on the raw costume to enhance it's accuracy. It was difficult to sew in sequins and my hand hurt while doing it but it turned out beautifully when I was done with it!

Thank goodness the costume fit me! It's as if it was actually made for me.

I had a lot of fun cosplaying Crystal Maiden since a lot of people recognized my character. (Yay for Dota2!)

Me signing and giving out coscards while we wait out for the program proper.

Look at how happy I am as Crystal Maiden! It was actually a dream come true for me! YAY!

Me with the other judges of the event.
L-R: Jc, Ben and Lara.

I wasn't able to take lots of photos because I was busy judging the event! Nevertheless, I enjoyed each and every contestants costumes and presentation and I was proud that more and more new people are taking cosplay as a hobby. It was nice to see the local community grow from a group of hobbyists to a larger number of enthusiasts eager to enhance their craft.

Look at how amazed I am watching new faces on-stage.

The costume still needs a lot of improvement. I have already fixed a lot of unstable parts and I am looking forward to wear it again and to show my love for this hero!

These are some of the photos I grabbed from people who asked for a photo of me. Thank you so much for saying hi and I hope to see you more on the next cosplay event in the city!